Crossing signal



C. GRAGERT CROSSING SIGNAL Filed Sept. 5, 1925 2 ShntI-Shntml.

Jan-

Jan. zama. 1,571,051`

C. GRAGERT CROSSING SIGNAL Filed Sept. 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Shut 2' JIM-D.

Patented Jan. 26, 1926. i

CHARLES GRAGERT, OF ADA., MINNESOTA.

CROSSING SIGNAL.

Application led September 5, 1925.

.Be it known that l, CHARLES GRAGERT, a citizen ot' the United States, residing at Ada, in the county oi Norman and State ot lvlinnesota, have invented certain new and useiul Improvements in Crossing Signals, ot which the following is a speciiication.

rlhis invention. relates to signals and per- `tains particularly to railroad crossing signals.

The primary object of this invention is the provision, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, of a signal device 'for use at a `railroad crossing, designed to be set by an approaching train to give warning to persons about to pass over the crossing and having means whereby the train after reaching the crossing will actuate a trip mechanism to remove the signal from view.

Another object ot the rinvention is the provision, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, ot a train actuated railway crossing signal which will be quick and positive in action, strong, durable and efficient and inexpensive to manufacture and set up.

rllhe invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part ot this speciiication, with the understanding that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed and modilied so long as such changes and moditications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

ln the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of the signal device embodying this invention, showing the same in position at the side of a track at a crossing. y

Figure 2 is a section taken upon the line 2-2 o1" Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section taken upon the line SW3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4t is asection taken upon the line 1*4 of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a section taken upon the line 5 ot Figure 1.

{eterring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views, the numeral 1 indicates the usual Serial No. 54,762.

rails of a railroad line and the numeral 2 indicates the usual cross-ties which connect between these rails. At 3 there is indicated a portion of a roadway running at right angles to the track shown, the roadway crossing the track as at 4.

rlhe signal device embodying this invention comprises aplate 5 ot' substantial length and width, which is normally secured upon the end of a pair ot the ties Z adjacent one of the rails and a substantial distance from the crossing at which the signal device is to be placed. rlhis base plate 5 has a longitudinally extending upstanding ribG formed along its outer side edge and further has a groove 7 formed in the top surface thereof extending longitudinally and ruiming parallel with the rib 6. As shown in Figure l the plate 5 hasv the outer edge thereof cut to run at an angle with respect to the inner edger and `with respect to the rail 1 which is parallel with the inner edge and the rib 6 and groove 7 run parallel with this angled outer edge. Formed upon the top or" the plate 5 is a pair of blocks 8 and 9 respectively the outer edges of which are in alignment as shown and are spaced from, and cut at an angle to run parallel with the inner side ot the rib G. rlhere is thus set up between the outer edges of the blocks 8 and 9 and the inner edge ot the rib 6 a guide-way 10.

Pivotally mounted upon the plate 5 between the blocks 8 and 9, is a gear wheel A1l carrying an lip-standing pin 12 upon the upper side there'o'l and adjacent the periphery. This pin 12 has the upper portion ot reduced diameter as indicated at 13 and fitted about this upper portion is a revoluble collar 14 held upon the pin by means of a nut 15 which is threaded upon the upper end of the reduced portion. As will be seen from a further description oit the device the gear wheel 11 is designed to oscillate and does not make a complete revolution at any time and the pin 12 with roller lil carried thereon is arranged upon that portion of the wheel which lies adjacent the rails 1.

Arranged in the guide-way 10 is a rack bar 16 having formed upon the longitudinal center throughout the length thereof and upon the top and bottom side, the ribs 1T. The rib 17 upon the lower side of the rack bar 16 is designed to lit in and move in the groove 7 as shown. bar mesh with the teeth ol' the gear wheel ll The teeth of the rack.

llO

as shown in Figure 1 and one end of the rack bar 16 is provided with a head 18 through which an aperture is formed.

Overlying the blocks 8 and 9, the rib 6 and the gear wheel 11 and rack bar 16 is a cover plate 19 which is secured upon the top of the blocks 8 and 9 and the rib 6 by means of the bolts 20, and this cover plate has formed in its under-face a groove 21 corresponding with the groove 7 in the plate 5 and designed to receive the rib 17 formed upon the top of the rack bar 16. A retaining pivot bolt 22 is passed through the cover plate 19 and through the hub of the gear wheel 11 into the lower plate 5 to pivotally secure the gear wheel in position. The inner edge of the cover plate 19 aligns with the inner edges of the blocks 8 and 9 thus leaving a portion of the gear wheel 11 uncovered. This portion is the portion upon which the stud or post 12 and roller 14 is mounted.

Mounted in the road-way 3 at one side of the crossing, is a plate body 23 of a construction similar to the plate body 5. This plate body has the rib 24 along the outer edge thereof, and the outer edge is set at an angle with respect to the track as inthe case of the plate 5 and further the outer edge of this plate is parallel with the outer edge of the plate 5. The inner face of the plate 23 has a longitudinally extending groove 25 therein adjacent the inner edge of the rib 24, and the plate also has a pair of supporting blocks 26 and 27 thereon the inner edges of which are spaced from the inner edge of the rib 24 and parallel therewith. In the guide-way 28 thus formed between the rib 24 and the inner edges of the blocks 26 and 27, a rack bar 29v is positioned and this rack bar 29 is provided with centrally positioned longitudinally extending ribs 30 one upon the top and the other upon the underside thereof. The lower rib 30 worlrs in the groove 25 formed in the base plate .3.

Pivotally mounted upon the plate between the blocks 26 and 27, is a combined pulley and gear wheel indicated generally by the numeral 31. rThe lower portion of this wheel 31 is formed to provide the gear 32 while the upper portion is formed to provide a pulley 33 which is of less diameter than the gear 32.

The shaftupon which this combined wheel 31 is mounted is indicated by the numeral 34 and as shown the lower portion of this shaft has a bearing in the plate and the upper portion thereof is of substantial length and extends upwardly above the gear and terminates in a reduced squared portion Placed over the plate 3, upon the blocks 26 and 27 and the rib 24 is a cover plate 36, which covers the major portion of the meinber 31 and completely covers the rack bar 29. This plate is held over the lower plate by means of the bolt 37 and this plate also has formed in the underface thereof a groove 38 similar" to the groove 25 in thel plate 23, in which the rib 30 upon the top of the raclr bar 29 is located. This rack bar 29 like the rack bar 16 has a head 39 upon one end, through which an aperture is formed. lVhen the two plates 3 and 25 are properly positioned a connecting cable 40 is extended therebetween, one end of this cable being connected to the aperture in the head 18 of the rack bar 16 and the other end being connected to the aperture in the head 39 of the rack bar 29. The rack bars thus connected are so arranged that upon inoven'ient of one of the bars by its meshed gear wheel, the other bar will be shifted to actuate the gear wheel in mesh therewith.

Upon the upper end of the shaft 34, there is fitted a standard 41 the lower end of which is provided with an axial recess to receive the reduced portion therein, and upon this standard there is carried a signal lag 42 which is so arranged that, when the signal is inactive, it extends parallel with the roadway 3 and when the signal is actuated, the flag is turned to extend across the road, as shown in Figure 1.

Mounted upon one end of one of the cross ties 2, lying between the plates 5 and 23 there is secured by means of the screws 43 a plate member 44. This plate carries upon the upper side thereof the bearing boss upon which is pivotally mounted about a pivot pin 46, a signal returning pulley 47. This pulley as shown, carries thereon adjacent the periphery thereof an upstanding lug 48 about which the roller sleeve 49 is positioned and held by the nut 50.

Extending between the pulley 47 and the pulley 33 upon the combined device 3l is a cable 51, one end of which is secured as at 52 to the pulley 47, while the other end thereof is secured to the pulley Mounted upon a low-hanging beam or other appropriate member such as that indicated by the numeral 52, carried by the engine passing over the track adjacent to which this signal device is positioned is a trip device indicated generally by the nu` ineral 53. As shown this trip device is secured upon the underside of the beam and it comprises the bloc-lr body 54 which is mounted upon the beam transversely of the rail 1 over which it lies and upon the underside of this block 54 at the outerl end thereof there is positioned a stop member consisting of a depending portion 55 land a laterally extending horizontal portion 56. The free end of this horizontal portion 56 is directed forwardly upon the device. At the other end of the bloeli 54 upon the underside` thereofis a similar stop member having a de pending portion 57 arranged upon the opposite side of the block member from the portion 55 and also having a right angled horizontal portion 58 which is directed toward the rear of the device.

Pivotally secured against the under side of the block 54 by means of the bolts 59 is a trip arm 60, the rear portion of which overlies the horizontal' portion 58 of the stop at the inner end of the block and the forward portion of the triparin overlies the horizontal portion 56 at the outerside of the block 54. From this construction it will be readily seen that the trip armcan be swung in one direction only upon its pivot 59 to arrange it at right angles with respect to the supporting block 54 and if it is swung in the opposite direction it will be stopped by the stop members to be held in a position parallel with the supporting block 54. This parallel position is the normal position ot the trip arm 60 and in order to maintain it in this position under normal conditions a spring 61 is provided, one end of which is attached to the eye 62 mounted upon the arm and the other end is attached to the eye 63 mounted upon the underside of the beam 52.

As clearly shown in Figure 1 the outer end of the trip arm 60 extends a slight distance beyond the rail 1 over which it lies and is adapted to contact with the stud and roller 12 and 14 carried upon the gear 11 and also with the stud and roller 48 and 49 carried upon the pulley 47.

The operation of this signal device is as follows:-

W'itli the signal device normally in offposition, the parts are arranged as shown in the plan view forming Figure 1 of the drawings, the signal flag being parallel with the road 3 upon which the base 23 is mounted.

A train moving along the track 1, being provided with the trip arm and other mechanisin associated therewith, moves to the point where the outer end of the trip arm 60 will contact with the roller 14 carried upon the stud 12 and owing to the immovable condition in which the trip arm 60 is held by means of the stops 55 and 57, the gear wheel 11 must be revolved as the arm presses against the roller stud carried thereon. Upon the revolution of this gear wheel 11, the rack bar 16 will be drawn backwardly through the passage 10 pulling upon the cable 40 thus drawing the rack bar 29 in the same direction. As will be clearly seen the movement of 'this rack bar will thus cause the combined gear wheel and pulley device 31 to be partially revolved and when this occurs the cable 51 will be diawn to partly revolve the pulley wheel 47 to bring the roller carrying stud 48 in position alongside oit the track 1. The revolving of the gear and pulley member 31 of course causes the shaft 34 to revolve thus swinging the flag 42 to a. position transversely of the road 3.

As the train continues to move forward the trip arm 60 will arrive at the point where it must hit the roller and studs 48 and 49 carried upon the pulley 47 thus causing the pulley to be revolved in the opposite direction and reversing the movement ot the gears 11 and 32 and their associated rack bars 16 and 29, thus swinging the flag 42 back into inoperative position and returning the stud and roller member 12 and 14 to a position adjacent the rail where it will be again actuated by another' train moving over the rails.

As will be readily seen the manner in which the arm 6() is mounted, enabling it to be swung to a position transversely of the supporting block 54, will allow the train carrying the trip mechanism to back past the trip stud 12 without damaging the same for, when the train backs the outer end of the arm 60 will hit the trip stud but will be swung from against the stop members 55 and 57 to such a position that it will be able to pass by the stud without injuring the saine. After passing the trip stud 12 the spring member 61 will cause the arm to be swung back to its original position as shown in Figures 2 and 6.l

In view of the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been provided an improved type of automatic highway signal which will be sure and accurate and unfailing in action.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. A railroad crossing signal of the character described, comprising a connected rack and gear mechanism, a contact stud carried by said gear, a trip element designed to be carried by a train to strike said stud, a signal element, a rack and gear mechanism controlling said signal element, connecting means between the said mechanisms, and means operable by said trip element and connected with said last mentioned mechanism to restore the said signal element to non-signaling position after the setting of the saine.

2. A railroad crossing signal of the character described, comprising a connected rack and gear mechanism, a contact stud carried by said gear, a trip element designed to be carried by a train to strike said stud, a signal element, a rack and gear mechanism controlling said signal element, connecting means between the racks of said mechanisms, and means operable by said trip element and connected with the gear of said last mentioned mechanism, to restore the signal element to non-signaling position.

3. A railroad crossing signal of the character described, comprising a connected rack i and gear mechanism, a contact stud carried by said gear, a trip element designed to be carried by a train to strike said stud, a

Combined gear and pulley member, a rack bnr in mesh with the last mentioned gear, an elongated upright shaft pivotally retaining` seid and pulley member in position, a signal liag carried upon the upper end of said shaft, and a connecting element between said racks for the control of the signal carrying gear by the rack and gear mechanism.

Ll. A railroad crossing signal of the character described, comprising` a connected rack and gear mechanism, a contact stud carried by said gear, a trip element designed to be carried by a train to strike seid stud, a

,15 combined gear and pulley member, a rack bar in mesh with the last mentioned gear, an elongated upright shaft pivotally retaining` vsaid gear and pulley member in position, a signal flag larried upon the upper end of said shaft, a connecting element between said racks for the control of the signal carrying` gear by the rack and gear n'ieehanism, and an oscillatory member adapted to be actuated by said trip and connected with said pulley member to restore the signal to non-signaling position at the proper time.

ln testimony whereof, I alix my signature hereto.

CHARLES GRAGERT. 

